This application relates to manual control levers for plucked instruments supplied with electronical equipment for sound amplification or sound embellishment, especially electric guitars and basses. Such manual control levers render possible a continuous control of the tone signal continually when playing.
Manual control levers have been described in the German utility model (gebrauchsmuster) No. 1983 374. The known embodiments of control levers have considerable disadvantages in their mechanical mode of action, thus causing an unsatisfactory playing technique. For a masterly handling of a control lever it is very important that its mechanical members provide control motions which are in a logical and suitable correlation with the other actions exercised by the plucking hand at the same time.
In the contemporary performance of music through electric guitars or basses, foot-pedals are used very often for the control of volume, timbre, and other sound elements. Manual control levers, which may be substituted for those pedals, have to render possible a more precise and smooth control of the mentioned sound elements, thus allowing the performance of very fine sound modulations according to a high musical standard. The control actions or motions should provide an easy playing technique in a convenient correlation to the usual actions of the plucking hand of the person playing the instrument. Performing said sound modulations, the player should be enabled to reinforce the sound characteristics of his instrument or to alter them for new musical expressions.
One can state that the main problem of a satisfactory embodiment of a manual control lever lies in the design and coordination of its mechanical means, rather than in its electronic members which complete the whole device. The electronic members and circuits are readily available in satisfactory form in the large selection of the known art and skill.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a manual control lever which renders possible an easy, improved and masterly playing technique of the plucking hand through the form, arrangement and working mode of its mechanical means.
Another object is to provide a manual control lever equally qualified for both plucking techniques, the plectrum and the finger picking.
Still another object is to provide a manual control lever which renders possible a change of the position of the plucking hand, both in the bridge-nut-direction and the transverse direction.
A further object of the invention is to provide a manual control lever which can be turned away from its working position, so that the oscillating part of strings and the bridge are not covered by any mechanical member.
A still further object is to provide a manual control lever with which the attack of the sound signal can be controlled in an easy and effective way.
Yet another object is to provide a manual control lever with which the accent of a tone can be reinforced.
Another object is to provide a manual control lever with which the decay of a tone signal can be reinforced for a longer sustained time.
Still another object is to provide a manual control lever with which sound modulations can be controlled to perform a volume/timbre-vibrato and crescendi or decrescendi.
Yet another object is to provide a manual control lever with which the timbre of the sound can be controlled when playing.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the further description.